Listen to your body

Life has become too complicated and stressful.  This causes us to lose sight of how we’re feeling – until it’s gotten to a point that we can’t take it anymore.  One way to change this is to listen to your body.  But, how?

Stressful life events list

Life does have its ups and downs.  But, there are some life events that really do cause a lot of stress.  Here is the list of 5 life events that are considered to be the most stressful, according to UH Hospitals:

1. Death of someone we love
2. Divorce
3. Relocation
4. Sickness
5. Losing your livelihood

You can read more about it in University Hospitals article through the link above.

Breaking it down

At the top of the list is the death of someone we deeply care about – be it a family member or close friend.  The grief we feel after this type of loss goes deep and causes stress that is overwhelming.  It’s terrible to lose someone we love.  Whether it is sudden or expected, it’s hard.  You have to figure out how to move on with life and that can be easier said than done.

Next is divorce -with divorce rates high, you may be the 50% of the population that have had to deal with divorce.  There is so much emotion tied up in a divorce that it ranks as #2 on the list.  Plus, it doesn’t matter if it was your decision or your partners’.  The act of getting divorce can be devastating because you went into a marriage with a commitment – a commitment to someone you loved.  To realize that you made a wrong decision is hard to sometimes come to terms with.

Then, if you’ve ever had to relocate – whether your decision or not, there is a lot that goes into moving and it does cause a lot of stress, especially while keeping everything else going at the same time (i.e., job, making dinner, keeping things organized, doctor’s appointments, etc.).  Keeping all the balls in the air without them dropping is a challenge.

#4 is an illness – especially a major one that derails you and your family.   It’s not what you were expecting but something you have to deal with.  All of a sudden, you’re thrown into trying to understand what to do – all while trying to process what is going on and what it means for the future.

Lastly, if you’ve ever lost your job, the uncertainty you feel is scary.  Where are you going to find a new job?  How are you going to feed yourself / your family?  Was I not good enough?  Why me?  It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and can be very stressful so it would be wise to listen to your body.

These are the most stressful life changes but there could be others.  We all experience stress in different ways and for different reasons.  So even if you don’t see a stressor on the list that you’re currently going through, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel the way you do right now.  It’s OK to feel the way you do.  The important thing is to not get stuck in it.

Effects of stress

We all know that stress is bad for us.  Stressful life experiences can lead to (more) illnesses, depression, and anxiety – just to name a few.  If we can’t get past the stressful life event, it can consume us.  When this happens, it makes it harder to deal with and move past it.

As women, we feel we need to do everything in order to keep things going.  But you may not realize this causes problems with our hormones, which can cause heavy bleeding, weight gain, and PMS.  This is why it is important to listen to your body.  When you start feeling the effects of stress, it’s time to make some changes.  Better yet, make changes before they become an issue.  Your family, your health and your hormones will thank you!

Listen to your Body

The bottom line?  You need to listen to your body.  It will help you to live a healthier, happier life – and isn’t that what we’re all striving for?

So, listen closer to your body!